From: Accounting for Use
AMR Success From Coast to Coast
Although climates may differ and
habits may vary widely, communities along the Pacific and Atlantic Seaboard have
one thing in common: a need to conserve and protect their water resources.
In Ann Arbor, MI, that commitment
has resulted in the city receiving the Ten Years of Excellence award from
Metering/Billing CIS America, being honored for an “innovative implementation of
advanced metering technologies by a water utility in North America.” Because Ann
Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, meter responsibility often changes
hands as a result of the transient student population. By using C700 positive
displacement meters by Elster AMCO Water, the city can avoid physical
disconnection and reconnection when the meters switch to new occupants, saving
time and money.
As a long-term municipal customer
of Aclara—and a user of the STAR Network system—Ann Arbor has experienced great
success in the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure designed to
collect water usage data that can be used to track water usage and provide
customers with daily consumption information. The data is also used for Ann
Arbor’s tiered-rate billing system (for both commercial and residential
customers) that bills customers based on usage.
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On the other side of the country,
the City of Spokane, WA found the perfect solution to a sticky security
situation by switching the local airport’s water meters to Itron’s Water Fixed
Network technology. In the past, meter-reading employs were forced to navigate
the airports multiple security gates to access water meters, which were placed
through the airport property. Complicating matters was that the sparsely
populated area surrounding the area required an additional two days of meter
reading. The city eventually agreed to deploy 200 Itron meters in a 10-square
mile area in and around the airport.
As a result of this new metering
system, meters are now read offsite, and monthly billing more closely
corresponds with the periods of usage. Spokane has also discovered that its new
AMR system helps with leak detection and has inspired its commercial customers
at the airport to keep a closer track of water usage.
May-June 2009
From: Accounting for Use
AMR Success From Coast to Coast
Although climates may differ and
habits may vary widely, communities along the Pacific and Atlantic Seaboard have
one thing in common: a need to conserve and protect their water resources.
In Ann Arbor, MI, that commitment
has resulted in the city receiving the Ten Years of Excellence award from
Metering/Billing CIS America, being honored for an “innovative implementation of
advanced metering technologies by a water utility in North America.” Because Ann
Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, meter responsibility often changes
hands as a result of the transient student population. By using C700 positive
displacement meters by Elster AMCO Water, the city can avoid physical
disconnection and reconnection when the meters switch to new occupants, saving
time and money.
As a long-term municipal customer
of Aclara—and a user of the STAR Network system—Ann Arbor has experienced great
success in the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure designed to
collect water usage data that can be used to track water usage and provide
customers with daily consumption information. The data is also used for Ann
Arbor’s tiered-rate billing system (for both commercial and residential
customers) that bills customers based on usage.
On the other side of the country,
the City of Spokane, WA found the perfect solution to a sticky security
situation by switching the local airport’s water meters to Itron’s Water Fixed
Network technology. In the past, meter-reading employs were forced to navigate
the airports multiple security gates to access water meters, which were placed
through the airport property. Complicating matters was that the sparsely
populated area surrounding the area required an additional two days of meter
reading. The city eventually agreed to deploy 200 Itron meters in a 10-square
mile area in and around the airport.
As a result of this new metering
system, meters are now read offsite, and monthly billing more closely
corresponds with the periods of usage. Spokane has also discovered that its new
AMR system helps with leak detection and has inspired its commercial customers
at the airport to keep a closer track of water usage.